Guide With Global Experience
Hi, my name is Steven Easley and I am the owner/head guide of Cottontop Birding based in the foothills of the beautiful Huachuca Mountains near Sierra Vista, Arizona. I have spent over 40 years birding and seen over 6,700 species worldwide. 30 of those years have been spent guiding in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Kenya, Tanzania, Peru, Brazil, Southeast AZ, and beyond... Birding is my main love, but I enjoy all things in the natural world. Whether tracking down a Serpent Ringtail on a rocky desert streambed or pinpointing the exacting location of a calling Whiskered Screech-Owl or even saving Mohave Rattlesnake from a busy roadway, I love it all.
Send me a message and we will work hard to find whatever you are looking for.
Steven Easley - Owner of Cottontop Birding
A Nature Photographer for Life
My journey behind the lens began in the early 1980s when my father handed me a Canon AE-1, a classic 35mm SLR that sparked a lifelong passion for visual storytelling. Learning the craft on slide film taught me an uncompromising discipline for exposure, composition, and patience—skills that seamlessly translated when I eventually made the leap into high-end digital photography. Today, leveraging cutting-edge digital bodies and telephoto glass, I was able to turn those decades of refined technique into extraordinary avian portraiture, capturing the fleeting, dynamic brilliance of birds in flight and perched in their natural habitats with breathtaking clarity and depth.
That artistic evolution has taken me around the world on a personal quest to add as a many high quality images of wildlife as humanly possible. My extensive field experience includes working on assignment across Africa, where I have been able to document the continent's diverse ecosystems and vast array of avian species under challenging wilderness conditions. Whether tracking elusive endemics through tropical rainforests or capturing birds of prey soaring over African savannas, my hope is that my photography will lead to a better appreciation of the beautiful world around us. Hopefully my time and dedication stands out for its intimate focus, technical precision, and profound respect for the natural world.
A Passion for the Natural World
A photo of our (partial) family gathered together in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest in coastal Kenya. A memory captured from 1995 just moments after seeing our first Narina Trogon with legendary guide David Ngala. To the right is my dad Wayne Easley, his eyes sparkling as always after seeing a gorgeous life bird. Front and center is my mom Wanda, the heart of the group and our entire family. On the left is my older brother Kevin, a true master in birding field craft and a bloodhound for lifers. His life list is a work of art and something that few people could hope to achieve.
Our family have always shared a profound interest in birdwatching, photography and the natural world, spending as much of our free time as possible exploring. From the tundra of Nome, Alaska to the beaches of Cairns, Australia, to the grasslands of the Obudu Plateau, Nigeria to the sweltering jungle of Manu, Peru, we have spent our lives being mesmerized by wildlife. Along the way we have met amazing people, embraced local cultures, tasted strange cuisine, slept in astounding lodges and found that birdwatching has enormously enriched our lives.
My sister Linda is also a nature enthusiast and has passed that love to her children Shaun & Angela and they are now teaching their children about the wonders of nature. My eldest brother Evan is a gifted Medical Doctor and still has a profound interest in nature.
This photograph captures a glimpse into the Easley Family sharing a special moment with a dear friend from the past. The natural world has been an unbreakable bond that all of us share and has proven to be an endearing blessing in all of our lives.
By The Numbers
Over 30 years guiding, 45 years birding, with 26 combined years living in Kenya and Costa Rica.
Experience
45 years birding, more than 30 of those guiding full time in Arizona, East Africa, and the Neotropics, give you a guide who has seen a lot of trails, birds, and group needs.
Places
I have lived and guided for 6 years in Kenya and 20 years in Costa Rica, and I continue to guide trips in those regions along with Southeastern Arizona and Ecuador.
Guests
Over hundreds of birders, photographers, and nature lovers have trusted me to find lifers, teach fieldcraft, and keep days in the field relaxed and well organized.